Notehead

Noteheads may be the same shape but colored completely black or white, indicating the note value (i.e., rhythmic duration).

The development of different colors of noteheads, and the use of it to indicate rhythmic values, was the use of white mensural notation, adopted around 1450.

[2] Franco of Cologne, ancient composer and music theorist, codified a system of rhythm notation.

He explained this system in his work, Ars Cantus Mensurabilis (“The Art of Measurable Music”), circa 1280.

Shortly before the Renaissance, scribes began to write the notes of the Franconian and Ars Nova style with open noteheads.

Parts of the note
Noteheads of quarter (and all further subdivisions), half, whole, and double whole notes
Left: breve in modern notation. Centre: breve in mensural notation used in some modern scores as well. Right: less common stylistic variant of the first form.
Regular, cross, square, and small noteheads
Ride pattern on a cymbal Play ⓘ
Natural harmonics on the cello notated first as sounded (more common), then as fingered (easier to sightread).